Kashaf Rashid

“CCT encourages exploration and taking classes that, at first, may seem to be from completely different fields and combine them together to create a truly unique experience.“

Academic Background: B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a minor in Spanish from George Mason University

Area of focus in CCT: Media Representations of Minorities, Journalism, Culture, Politics, New Media

What did you do before CCT? Before CCT, I graduated from George Mason University with a BA in Communication in 2022. I have also previously worked as a part time teaching assistant for a Math and English learning Center known as Kumon, and then as a part-time sales associate at Old Navy.

What activities do you participate in at CCT? I was active member in the Global Media Group, which focuses on exploring intercultural communities and learning about media from global cultures, something that is tied directly to my research goals and passions. As part of the Global Media Group, I presented research on different cultural stereotypes and positive representations of Muslims in popular culture. Additionally, I’m was also a book reviewer for Gnovis and reviewed the book The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood by James Gleick for the 24th edition of Gnovis.

Why did you choose CCT? I chose CCT because of both its interdisciplinary program and the location. After graduating from undergrad, I had many unanswered questions related to the effects of media representations on people’s perceptions of themselves and their own communities, as well as interests in journalism. I had actually wanted to pursue a Journalism Masters when I came across CCT and was struck by its interdisciplinary nature. I was leaning toward taking it because I thought the program would allow me to pursue all of my interests while opening new opportunities that I wouldn’t have had otherwise because of its location in Washington, D.C. It was the location of CCT that solidified the choice for me because not only was it close to home but it was also the heart of the nation’s capital and I thought it would allow me to explore and learn from people from all over the world, which was what ended up happening.

What surprised you about CCT? The program’s diversity was astonishing. Not just in terms of the people who all bring perspectives and insights from different corners of the world, but also in terms of the classes. There is such a range of topics that are covered in CCT that everyone would find something that they are interested in. CCT encourages exploration and taking classes that at first may seem to be from completely different fields and combine them together to create a truly unique experience, with classmates from around the world who all bring their own takes and insights into the lessons, leaving us with a richer understanding of the world.

What have you been working on since CCT? I have recently got a part time job as an AI contributor for a company called Outlier. The job involves working on a series of tasks that are designed to help improve AI models. I’m still working on finding a more permanent job, but I’m looking in areas related to AI and content creation.